


And Miles to Go

by brinnanza



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 23:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4498086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brinnanza/pseuds/brinnanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, why don’t you let me drive for a while,” says McKay suddenly, breaking Sheppard out of his reverie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Miles to Go

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt was "Pull over. Let me drive for a while." from a list of 100 ways to say "I love you."

The system’s second planet had proven to be devoid of anything but large, carnivorous predators bent on ramming anything in their path and a crater where an outpost might once have been, and the Stargate, orbiting the barren sixth planet, is still hours away. The autopilot had been damaged on the planet, so Sheppard’s flying manually. It’s a simple flight--just straight on til morning--but he has to keep the jumper pointed in the right direction. It’s the sort of mindless that nonetheless requires constant attention. The boredom would have been bad enough, but between the flight out and the time spent planet-side, Sheppard has been awake for nearly 24 hours, and he’s not nearly as young as he used to be.

Teyla and Ronon had retired to the rear compartment hours ago, so it’s just Sheppard and McKay up front. They’d bickered conversationally at first, but as the hours wore on, McKay had gotten more and more involved in first working on the computer propped up in his lap and then napping.

Sheppard leans on the jumper’s dashboard, his chin propped on his hand, and stares out into the inky blackness of the viewscreen. P2X-444 is a distant ball of sandy brown, still so far away. His eyes have narrowed to slits, and it’s taking all of his concentration to stay awake.

“Hey, why don’t you let me drive for a while,” says McKay suddenly, breaking Sheppard out of his reverie. He puts his laptop down on the floor.

Sheppard sits back in his chair and looks at him. “I’ve seen the way you drive,” he says skeptically.

McKay raises his chin defensively. “Yes, well, it can’t be any worse than how you’re currently doing.” He pulls up their flight path on the HUD. It’s a squiggly line, far from the smooth arc of their initial journey.

Sheppard spares a thought to dismiss the graph. “It’s fine, Rodney. I got it.” He demonstrates this point with a huge, jaw-cracking yawn.

McKay arches an eyebrow at him. After a beat, he says, “You need to sleep, Sheppard. You’re gonna crash us into a star or something.”

Sheppard frowns, irrationally wounded for a moment at the insult to his piloting abilities. Then he affects his usual look of unflappable cool and says, “Nah. The sun is the other way.”

McKay shoots him a look, and Sheppard nudges the ship back on course.

“Don’t be an idiot, Sheppard,” McKay snaps, getting to his feet and standing over Sheppard so he can glare down at him. “I have actually done this before.” When Sheppard still doesn’t move, he crosses his arms and sighs. “John.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sheppard says finally. He shoves a hand through his hair and pushes himself to his feet. He hovers by the door to the rear compartment.

McKay waves at him impatiently. “Go. I’ll wake you up if anything happens.” Sheppard’s eyebrows shoot into his hairline, and McKay adds, “Which nothing will. Now go sleep.”

“That’s usually my line,” grumbles Sheppard, but he palms the door control. Light spills into the darkened compartment where Teyla and Ronon are curled up on the floor on top of their open sleeping bags. Ronon has one arm slung over Teyla’s waist, and he looks up blearily when the door slides open.

Sheppard shrugs a shoulder at him, and he moves closer to Teyla, making enough room for Sheppard to lie down on his other side. It’s tight with three of them, and Sheppard’s shoulder is pressed against Ronon when he lies on his back, but Sheppard’s slept in worse conditions than this before.

He touches the floor of the jumper and feels the reassuring hum of the ship’s systems. She’s in good hands. Strong, sure, capable hands. 

He sleeps.


End file.
